1921–86 Belgian violinist Grumiaux made his debut in Brussels with the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, but his career was immediately interrupted by the war. He made his British debut in 1945. Noted for his fastidious playing, he made many recordings, including the unaccompanied Bach sonatas and the sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven. Introduction | Modern Era | Classical Personalities ...
1842–1900 English composer Sullivan was a Chapel Royal chorister, the first-ever Mendelssohn scholar and a student of William Sterndale Bennett. He was already a composer of distinction when, in 1867, he collaborated with the playwright W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) in Cox and Box (1866). Their Trial by Jury (1875) set the seal on a historic partnership that spawned ...
(Guitar, vocals, 1905–74) Arthur William Crudup was born in Forest, Mississippi and did not learn to play the guitar until his 30s. He worked functions in the Clarksdale area before moving to Chicago in 1940, signing with Bluebird in 1941 and finding considerable popularity on record. He returned to Mississippi after the Second World War and worked ...
1842–1900, English Sullivan’s name is synonymous with that of librettist W. S. Gilbert in England. It is their association with Richard D’Oyly Carte and the succession of operettas written for the Savoy Theatre that continue to ensure that Gilbert and Sullivan remain household names. Sullivan’s aim, however, after education at the Royal Academy of Music in London and ...
Composed: 1884–85 Premiered: 1885, London Libretto by W. S. Gilbert Act I The Mikado’s son, Nanki-Poo, has fled from court to avoid marrying Katisha and is now wandering Japan as a second trombone. He has returned to Titipu on hearing that Ko-Ko, his rival for Yum-Yum, has been condemned to death for flirting. Ko-Ko, however ...
Composed: 1889 Premiered: 1889, London Libretto by W. S. Gilbert Act I Marco and Giuseppe, two gondoliers of proud republican descent, choose Gianetta and Tessa as their brides. The Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro arrive in Venice with their daughter Casilda and their servant Luiz. Casilda is told that she was married when a baby to the infant ...
(Är-tür’ Ô-ne-gâr’) 1892–1955 Swiss composer Honegger studied in Paris, and was soon bracketed with five French contemporaries as ‘Les Six’, but his idiom was tougher and less Gallic than theirs. He made his name with a powerful, neo-Handelian scenic cantata Le roi David (‘King David’; first performed at an outdoor festival in Switzerland, 1921). He wrote orchestral works ...
1855–1922 Hungarian conductor Principal conductor at the Leipzig Opera in 1879, Nikisch became conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra 10 years later, and conductor of both the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1895 until his death. He performed the works of many contemporary composers, including Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler and Strauss. Introduction | ...
1887–1982 American pianist Born in Poland, Rubinstein gave his first concert at the age of seven. His debut in Berlin came in 1900. By World War I, he had appeared in Paris, Austria, Italy, Russia, the US and London. With a break in the 1930s for private study, he continued touring for the rest ...
(Vocals, 1946–2003) Discovered in 1965 by Otis Redding, Conley shared with him an admiration for Sam Cooke. Redding gets a name-check (twice) in Conley’s one big hit, ‘Sweet Soul Music’ (produced by Redding in 1967), a frantic rock’n’roll work-out with punctuating brass, which exuberantly celebrated the soul greats of the day. Conley was a regular member of ...
(Vocal group, 1966–68) With an alarming stage act and a debut single, ‘Devil’s Grip’, paving the way, 1968’s ‘Fire!’ was a No. 1 in Britain and came within an ace of doing the same in the US. However, after a fraught North American tour the group split. Vocalist Brown then travelled down many artistic avenues, ...
‘You Better Move On’, 1962 Co-founder of the famed Muscle Shoals recording studio, Arthur Alexander’s ‘You Better Move On’ was a No. 24 US hit that showcased his country-soul roots. Despite being covered by The Rolling Stones (and having other songs covered by Elvis Presley and The Beatles – the latter covering his biggest hit, ‘Anna (Go To Him)’, ...
1881–1955, Romanian Enescu was a true prodigy – a brilliant pianist, superb conductor, and a man whose memory for music rivalled that of Mozart. Born in Romania, Enescu studied in Vienna and Paris, where he sat alongside Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), Jules Massenet (1842–1912) and other celebrated French composers. Working with some of the best musicians of his ...
1897–1988 English oboist Goossens became principal oboe of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra at the age of 17 and of the London Philharmonic Orchestra when it was founded in 1932. His refined playing and exquisite tone led many English composers to write for him, including Arthur Bliss (1891–1975) and Vaughan Williams. Introduction | Modern Era | Classical Personalities | Arthur Grumiaux ...
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) is said to have written the first film score with L’assassinat du duc de Guise (‘The Assassination of the Duke of Guise’, c. 1908). Many composers in the US and Europe followed suit, although few wished to make a career in films. A famous exception was Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957), whose scores include the Academy Award-winning The ...
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